Environmental Kashrut

By Rabbi Ron Stern

One of my favorite sites in Los Angeles is the abandoned cold war radar platform on Mt. San Vicente. There, at the top of Encino Hills Drive, it is possible to see from Long Beach to Santa Clarita and from Mount Baldy to the Catalina Island. Looking at the sparkling Pacific and the snowy peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, I often find myself entranced by the beauty that is so often lost on the gritty often smog filled valley and city floors. The sheer immensity of the city of Los Angeles is equally stunning as the sky scrapers of downtown sparkle in the sunlight and the subdivisions of the Valley stretch for miles. Standing there taking in hundreds of square miles of natural and man-made wonder the Yotzeir Or prayer and the imagery that it projects comes to mind:

    Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all. The One who illuminates the earth and those who dwell upon it, with compassion; and who, in God’s goodness, renews every day the act of Creation. How great are Your works, Adonai.

There is also a darker side to that wondrous vista. On a smoggy day, the view is frightening. A brown layer of air sits over the millions of people living in the Valley. Smoke drifts from the boats in the harbor, and airplanes leave streaks of brown as they take off from LAX. The blue water of Santa Monica Bay looks pristine from this distance, but it hides the chemicals that swirl in its waters and are captured in the sand beneath the waves. Those are the days that I think of the powerful text from the Midrash written in 200 C.E.:

    The Holy Blessed One took the first human, and passing before all the trees of the Garden of Eden, said, “See my works, how fine and excellent they are! All that I created, I created for you. Reflect on this, and do not corrupt or desolate my world; for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.”

Our city is but a microcosm of all inhabited regions around the globe. To greater or lesser degrees attempts have been made to moderate the human impact on our world, but overall we are failing miserably.The Earth has already been desolated and corrupted—can it be repaired?

• In most of the world’s cities the air is still filled with the noxious chemicals causing lung disease and premature deaths.
• The oceans are under severe stress and a combination of over-fishing and pollution threatens the collapse of entire ecosystems.
• Anthropogenic (human caused) CO2 buildup is irrefutably causing the earth’s temperature to rise and will impact the earth economically and environmentally in a way that rivals the cost of a world war.
• Forests are dying, coral reefs are dead, vital animal and plant species are facing extinction in the near future.
  How long can we continue business as usual? As the world’s population increases and our disposable culture casts more and more refuse on the land, in the sea and into the air it is clear that the world has reached its capacity. We are in a crisis never faced in human history.

Examine your own contribution to the global dilemma. How many computers have you owned and disposed of? Where are they? If one gallon of gas produces nearly 20 pounds of CO2 (the most prevalent greenhouse gas), how much do you produce in a week? How much garbage does your house produce in a week? How often are lights left on, air conditioners running, and electric appliances on unnecessarily? If you are a factory owner or manager, is your place of business efficient, clean, and conscious of the environmental impact?

The beginning of our collective response draws heavily from the Jewish tradition. We are called upon to be Environmentally Kosher. Think about it for a minute. The Jewish laws of Kashrut are meant to increase reverence for the animal that surrenders its life so that we might live. But far from making us all vegetarians, Kashrut seeks to raise consciousness and moderate behavior. The same principle applies for our environmental impact. We cannot stop using energy, cease pollution altogether, completely halt our way of life. Rather we need to pursue moderation. In other words, observe Environmental Kashrut. It begins with us as individuals and by our efforts, our advocacy and our consciousness we can dream of spreading this consciousness around the globe. This country along with others who share our awareness can become world leaders in the cause.

The task may appear overwhelming but working together it is absolutely possible. Our unique place in the order of creation has given us minds with the collective power of generations to bring us to this point of amazing progress. Our minds, working together, and committed to protecting earth’s delicate balance can also insure the stability and viability of our planet for generations to come.